Playing again post left wrist fracture

Caffeine_Vampire

12 weeks on Sunday since I went arse over tit and time to reassess my playing. Reluctantly swapped out my favourite Thomastik flatwounds for slinky 9's and re-set up all my guitars and I hate it although there is considerably less pain when bending strings. Can't get through more than 45 minutes without fatigue but my speed seems ok and muscle memory isn't too far behind. The worst part is the pinky stretch. I have big hands but that particular movement is impossible for me now which is a colossal hinderance in my playing style. l'm following medical advice amd doing the exercises as instructed but... help? Anything else 'I can do? Will this improve over time?

almac

I'm in the same boat. Shattered my wrist 2 yrs ago. Keep doing daily stretching exercises and go see an osteopath, they'll help with the stiffness. 

Caffeine_Vampire

almac said:

I'm in the same boat. Shattered my wrist 2 yrs ago. Keep doing daily stretching exercises and go see an osteopath, they'll help with the stiffness. 

2 years and still having problems? 

BigMonka

I broke my arm and dislocated my wrist last year. I remember when I got my cast off that I could barely hold down a chord but they came back over a few weeks. For me Bm was the hardest as it requires rotation with your arm extended, but even that was back within a few months and guitar playing was back to normal within probably 6months.
Everyone's injury and recovery will be different, but just keep trying, keep pushing a bit further, and I'm sure movement will come back ok.  

Trude

I broke my left wrist quite badly when I was 11, and had been playing for about a year. On the way back from having my cast off I remember making my Dad take me to a music shop to see if I could still play. Not surprisingly I couldn't! On the plus side, it got me out of the first term of rugby when I started at secondary school!

But things gradually recovered and I don't think it held me back. 35 years later I can still click it and am occasionally aware of it, but it never seems to ache even after long playing sessions.

Don't rush it - it'll take time to fully recover but I'm sure you'll get there in the end.

Caffeine_Vampire

Thanks, it does seem to be an injury that isn’t going to heal in a hurry but the encouragement is much appreciated.

Jalapeno

You have to recover from all the atrophy cused by immobilisation - takes a while.  I recommend swimming (CV19 aside), and stress balls or Gripmaster hand exercisers.

rze99

Same thing but on right strumming / picking wrist 6 months ago. I tripped over a box carrying other boxes. Doh. 

I thought it was badly sprained so bought a support from the chemist and carried on.  

A month later I got it x rayed and it showed it was a long but fine fracture. 

Still some residual weakness and soreness doing strenuous things but lucky not worse. Consultant recommended vit D3 which I now take religiously.